Black Pearl Chile. Originally from Mexico. When fully grown the Black Pearl Plant looks great, purple to dark leaves and fruits turning from shiny black to red when fully ripped.
The plant is normally fairly low maintenance and is normally quite easy to grow, as long as a level of basic care is provided throughout the year. Being aware of the basic soil, sun and water preferences will result in a happier and healthier plant. It is not so big so you can keep it just as an ornamental plant but it will also give you a lot of fresh fruit during the chilli season which lasts approximate 4 to 6 months.
Heat: 4 / 10
A 2006 All-America Selections winner, ‘Black Pearl’ boasts the most dramaticlly deep purple-black leaves and fruit imaginable. The vigorour, bushy plants grow to 18 inches tall and almost as wide.
How to grow Chili pepper ‘Black Pearl’
Full Sun+Medium
Black Pearl is heat tolerant, and requires minimal water and fertilization during the season. Fruit continues until frost. Black Pearl likes a position of full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Black Pearl is thought of as tender, so remember to wait until your soil is warm and the night time temperature is well above freezing before moving outside. Use USDA Hardiness Zone 5 – 12 as your guideline for the appropriate climate for this plant. Black Pearl needs a loamy and sandy soil with a ph of 7.0 to 8.5 (neutral soil to weakly alkaline soil).
Growing Black Pearl from seed:
Needs plenty of sun and warm temperatures for optimal growth. Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before your last frost date. Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 1.95 inches (5.0 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.2 inches (0.5 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 18°C / 64°F to ensure good germination. By our calculations, you should look at sowing Black Pearl about 21 days before your last frost date.
Transplanting Black Pearl
Plants are ready to go outdoors when the soil temperature reaches 60 degrees F. Ensure that temperatures are mild (minimum night temperatures should be around 16°C / 61°F) and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Black Pearl is a tender plant.
